End Of Days – Brian Kannard |Steinbeck|The C.I.A.|Iran Contra|Holy Grail|EOD 22 by Michael · Published March 1, 2017 · Updated March 2, 2017 Episode 22: Finding Jesus Michael welcomes us to a special Tuesday edition of the program and introduces us to his guest, Brian Kannard. He is the author of Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead, and his latest, Steinbeck: Citizen Spy – The Untold Story of John Steinbeck and the CIA. He also is a publisher and occasional ghostwriter. His company, Grave Distractions, has published the likes of Henry Lincoln, Tim Wallace-Murphy, and the Reverend Michael Carter. Brian is also a 32nd degree Freemason. Michael wonders how he was introduced to it and Brian tells us it was when he read the book, Holy Blood Holy Grail {http://amzn.to/2muqltW} when he was 19 years old. He said it made him question history and made him realize there’s a hidden history out there. He also read the book, Born In Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry {http://amzn.to/2mf7kuJ} which describes the link between Masonry and the Knights Templar, but also outlines the charitable work that Freemasons do.He joined the lodge when he was 24 or 25. He said there is no great conspiracy when it comes to Freemasonry and that a lodge meeting would bore anyone to tears. He describes himself as an ordinary man with extraordinary interests. He’s led a conventional life, and even bought the house he grew up in from his parents. Brian tells us that he’s always been fascinated by history, how the stories of the past can be applied today. He’s an avid videogamer, playing PS4 to relieve stress. His wife looks at it as his version of golf. He and Michael then discuss how people are making money online by having others watch them play video games. Brian’s 16 year-old son enjoys this pastime himself. Michael then asks how he came to write his first book, Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead. Brian explains how he was bored and miserable with his job in business management when his wife asked him, “What do you want to do?” He had become interested in grave robbery through a story about Charlie Chaplin, so he quit his job and wrote a book about it which he self-published. This led him to realize he could do this for other writers as well, so he created a publishing company called Grave Distractions. Talk then turns to the movie, The Da Vinci Code. Brian recounts how he visited Roslyn Chapel before the movie came out then again after and remarked how fame had changed the vibe of the place. He mentioned that Skullduggery has been taken off the market because he’ll be revamping the edition. {You can find used copies on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lUHAmJ.} He then recounts one of the stories in the book, about the theft of Charlie Chaplin’s body. Brian tells us that he’s always been interested in the Holy Grail. His blog, Grail Seekers, is where he got his start in writing. A few years back he was interviewed by a major European magazine about the Nanteos Cup being stolen. This cup, which has since been return, was thought to be the Holy Grail. Brian then muses on the power of the written word. He likens writing to posting a naked picture of yourself on Twitter. He says it’s like baring your soul. They then get into a discussion about the Ark of the Covenant. Brian mentions Graham Hancock’s book, The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant {http://amzn.to/2ldJQqg} and the guardians of the ark. Brian says that ultimately it’s about the spiritual search, as opposed to the literal search. The Knights Templar are next up. Brian sees them as a convenient target for conspiracy theorists. They both agree they’d love to have a time machine so that they could view every event in history. Michael then asks Brian about his opinion on the Shroud of Turin. Brian says he doesn’t buy into the 1898 photo, that he thinks it’s a forgery. He said that he’s a cynic at heart. Noah’s Ark? Brian says it’s a great story but doesn’t think it ever existed, and Michael recounts getting into an argument about it with a pastor. Talk turns to the Bible and Brian mentions that Ecclesiastes is his favorite book. Michael mentions that the flat-earthers keep harassing him. They then touch on Scientology and pastors who rake in the millions. Brian brings up his friend, Pastor Charlie Millson, from Westmoreland Food Bank, and what a great guy he is. Brian’s second book, Steinbeck: Citizen Spy – The Untold Story of John Steinbeck and the CIA {http://amzn.to/2m9AoU0} is the next topic of conversation. Steinbeck thought Communism was the bane of humanity. Brian’s current view of Russia is that it’s the evil empire that’s playing as nice as they can, that they’re just as dangerous as ever. Michael asks Brian who his favorite writer is. Brian says John Steinbeck, Tom Robbins or Frank Herbert. Dune {http://amzn.to/2lXMzB7} is one of his favorite books of all-time. Talk returns to the CIA and stories about Steinbeck’s involvement. Brian found a letter from 1952 via the Freedom of Information Act in which Steinbeck writes to Walter B. Smith, the Director of Central Intelligence. that he’d like to offer up his services to the CIA. Smith told him to stop by. Brian says he had the good fortune of discussing Steinbeck’s life with his son, Tom, who unfortunately passed away recently. They talked about his interest in the Holy Grail. Brian also found out that Steinbeck’s FBI files had been destroyed. This is what led Brian to the CIA connection. Tom said J. Edgar Hoover hated his father. Brian tells us about some conversations he’s had with others about his book. A high-level academic’s only comments were that the margins in the book were too small. And talk with an ex-CIA officer {“T.C.”} is outlined in the book. Michael asks Brian his opinions on the Iran-Contra Affair, whether or not Pablo Escobar may have worked for the CIA {Brian says there are plenty of ‘walk-ins’ being used for passive intelligence}, Frank Sinatra, Steinbeck’s Paris story, the assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong-nam, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump. Brian then fills us in about his next books. Brian admits he’s been doing quite a bit of ghostwriting at the moment but there is a story he’s been researching about a Navy plane that went down right after the Korean War under some unusual circumstances. Another subject in the works is the story of Deacon Brodie, a cabinet-maker in Edinburgh in the 1780s who was Robert Lewis Stevenson’s inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Brian fulfills a triple-dog-dare and gives a shout-out to Rainbow Kitty and Captain Phil. When asked Michael’s trademark question, movies or television, Brian says both. He thinks the BBC does some great shows and thinks TV can get deeper into storylines and character development. Both Michael and Brian have dropped off of Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Michael mentions the movie Arrival has become a topic of discussion on the program and asks Brian for his thoughts. He describes it as a highbrow version of Slaughterhouse-Five. They both agree that the aliens in Arrival have an H.P. Lovecraft feel to them. Michael is still pointing out the lame, formulaic ending. Brian mentions the use of focus groups and Michael informs him of the deprogramming that goes on here on this show. Brian’s website is http://www.gravedistractions.com where they do traditional publishing as well as freelance work. He welcomes people to send in their manuscripts. Please visit http://www.endofdaysradio.org or http://www.michaeldecon.com to listen to any of our past shows. steinbeckcitizenspy.com Share this:FacebookX Share
Michael welcomes us to a special Tuesday edition of the program and introduces us to his guest, Brian Kannard. He is the author of Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead, and his latest, Steinbeck: Citizen Spy – The Untold Story of John Steinbeck and the CIA. He also is a publisher and occasional ghostwriter. His company, Grave Distractions, has published the likes of Henry Lincoln, Tim Wallace-Murphy, and the Reverend Michael Carter. Brian is also a 32nd degree Freemason. Michael wonders how he was introduced to it and Brian tells us it was when he read the book, Holy Blood Holy Grail {http://amzn.to/2muqltW} when he was 19 years old. He said it made him question history and made him realize there’s a hidden history out there. He also read the book, Born In Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry {http://amzn.to/2mf7kuJ} which describes the link between Masonry and the Knights Templar, but also outlines the charitable work that Freemasons do.He joined the lodge when he was 24 or 25. He said there is no great conspiracy when it comes to Freemasonry and that a lodge meeting would bore anyone to tears. He describes himself as an ordinary man with extraordinary interests. He’s led a conventional life, and even bought the house he grew up in from his parents. Brian tells us that he’s always been fascinated by history, how the stories of the past can be applied today. He’s an avid videogamer, playing PS4 to relieve stress. His wife looks at it as his version of golf. He and Michael then discuss how people are making money online by having others watch them play video games. Brian’s 16 year-old son enjoys this pastime himself. Michael then asks how he came to write his first book, Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead. Brian explains how he was bored and miserable with his job in business management when his wife asked him, “What do you want to do?” He had become interested in grave robbery through a story about Charlie Chaplin, so he quit his job and wrote a book about it which he self-published. This led him to realize he could do this for other writers as well, so he created a publishing company called Grave Distractions. Talk then turns to the movie, The Da Vinci Code. Brian recounts how he visited Roslyn Chapel before the movie came out then again after and remarked how fame had changed the vibe of the place. He mentioned that Skullduggery has been taken off the market because he’ll be revamping the edition. {You can find used copies on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lUHAmJ.} He then recounts one of the stories in the book, about the theft of Charlie Chaplin’s body. Brian tells us that he’s always been interested in the Holy Grail. His blog, Grail Seekers, is where he got his start in writing. A few years back he was interviewed by a major European magazine about the Nanteos Cup being stolen. This cup, which has since been return, was thought to be the Holy Grail. Brian then muses on the power of the written word. He likens writing to posting a naked picture of yourself on Twitter. He says it’s like baring your soul. They then get into a discussion about the Ark of the Covenant. Brian mentions Graham Hancock’s book, The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant {http://amzn.to/2ldJQqg} and the guardians of the ark. Brian says that ultimately it’s about the spiritual search, as opposed to the literal search. The Knights Templar are next up. Brian sees them as a convenient target for conspiracy theorists. They both agree they’d love to have a time machine so that they could view every event in history. Michael then asks Brian about his opinion on the Shroud of Turin. Brian says he doesn’t buy into the 1898 photo, that he thinks it’s a forgery. He said that he’s a cynic at heart. Noah’s Ark? Brian says it’s a great story but doesn’t think it ever existed, and Michael recounts getting into an argument about it with a pastor. Talk turns to the Bible and Brian mentions that Ecclesiastes is his favorite book. Michael mentions that the flat-earthers keep harassing him. They then touch on Scientology and pastors who rake in the millions. Brian brings up his friend, Pastor Charlie Millson, from Westmoreland Food Bank, and what a great guy he is. Brian’s second book, Steinbeck: Citizen Spy – The Untold Story of John Steinbeck and the CIA {http://amzn.to/2m9AoU0} is the next topic of conversation. Steinbeck thought Communism was the bane of humanity. Brian’s current view of Russia is that it’s the evil empire that’s playing as nice as they can, that they’re just as dangerous as ever. Michael asks Brian who his favorite writer is. Brian says John Steinbeck, Tom Robbins or Frank Herbert. Dune {http://amzn.to/2lXMzB7} is one of his favorite books of all-time. Talk returns to the CIA and stories about Steinbeck’s involvement. Brian found a letter from 1952 via the Freedom of Information Act in which Steinbeck writes to Walter B. Smith, the Director of Central Intelligence. that he’d like to offer up his services to the CIA. Smith told him to stop by. Brian says he had the good fortune of discussing Steinbeck’s life with his son, Tom, who unfortunately passed away recently. They talked about his interest in the Holy Grail. Brian also found out that Steinbeck’s FBI files had been destroyed. This is what led Brian to the CIA connection. Tom said J. Edgar Hoover hated his father. Brian tells us about some conversations he’s had with others about his book. A high-level academic’s only comments were that the margins in the book were too small. And talk with an ex-CIA officer {“T.C.”} is outlined in the book. Michael asks Brian his opinions on the Iran-Contra Affair, whether or not Pablo Escobar may have worked for the CIA {Brian says there are plenty of ‘walk-ins’ being used for passive intelligence}, Frank Sinatra, Steinbeck’s Paris story, the assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong-nam, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump. Brian then fills us in about his next books. Brian admits he’s been doing quite a bit of ghostwriting at the moment but there is a story he’s been researching about a Navy plane that went down right after the Korean War under some unusual circumstances. Another subject in the works is the story of Deacon Brodie, a cabinet-maker in Edinburgh in the 1780s who was Robert Lewis Stevenson’s inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Brian fulfills a triple-dog-dare and gives a shout-out to Rainbow Kitty and Captain Phil. When asked Michael’s trademark question, movies or television, Brian says both. He thinks the BBC does some great shows and thinks TV can get deeper into storylines and character development. Both Michael and Brian have dropped off of Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Michael mentions the movie Arrival has become a topic of discussion on the program and asks Brian for his thoughts. He describes it as a highbrow version of Slaughterhouse-Five. They both agree that the aliens in Arrival have an H.P. Lovecraft feel to them. Michael is still pointing out the lame, formulaic ending. Brian mentions the use of focus groups and Michael informs him of the deprogramming that goes on here on this show. Brian’s website is http://www.gravedistractions.com where they do traditional publishing as well as freelance work. He welcomes people to send in their manuscripts. Please visit http://www.endofdaysradio.org or http://www.michaeldecon.com to listen to any of our past shows. steinbeckcitizenspy.com
